


A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

by Cbrez



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: First Kiss, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, The mildly dubious consent is just for kissing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21692824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cbrez/pseuds/Cbrez
Summary: Leon's best friend, Raihan, comes over. Leon learns that he's really bad at hiding things.He looked over just in time to see him take the magazine off the shelf. The champion quickly jumped off his bed trying to take it back. Raihan, held the other off, chuckling as he waved the magazine just out of Leon’s reach. Leon was getting more and more flustered after each failed attempt to retrieve it.“Rai! Come on, give it back!”, he cried.Raihan chuckled, “No way! This is just too good! Oh man, you’re lucky your mom didn’t find this! You suck at hiding things, Lee!”
Relationships: Leon/Raihan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 313





	A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

**Author's Note:**

> Leon and Raihan are both sixteen in this story. 
> 
> Inspired by this line of text in the game: 'The top shelves are filled with books that seem hard to understand, only adults read these books'.
> 
> And my mind turned that into...well you'll see ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

Leon sighed as he fell back onto his childhood bed with a huff. Being the champion of the Galar region was amazing but at times it could be downright exhausting. He was very grateful to the Chairman for allowing him some time off to visit his family. He had especially made sure to spend some time with his little brother. Before long Hop’d be getting his first pokemon, joining the gym challenge, and finding his own path. But for now, he was an adorable six-year-old, whose brother was his biggest hero. 

Today, he had the house all to himself, his rival and best friend Raihan was coming over. Raihan had recently been named the new gym leader for the city of Hammerlocke. With him being the champion and Raihan now being the strongest gym leader in the league, it seemed like all their childhood dreams were coming true. He couldn’t be more proud of Raihan. However, with the two being so busy they hadn’t seen each other since Raihan’s sixteenth birthday party a few months ago. Leon still couldn’t remember much about that night. He had heard afterward someone had spiked the punch. Before he knew it he was slurring his speech and was a little unsteady on his feet. He got so dizzy at one point he had to sit down on the floor. Leon could remember sitting and talking with his best friend. Then a really fuzzy memory of Raihan’s face, and that’s all he could recall. 

Leon was really missing his best friend, sure they would text and call each other but it wasn’t the same. He found himself on the other’s social media page often, looking at pictures he’d share, and the comments from his fans. He started to be bothered by people saying how hot he was or asking if he’s single. 

_Maybe, maybe he’s even already got a girlfriend,_ Leon thought with a sigh.

He certainly had the looks to get with anyone he wanted. Leon had started to feel a certain way lately whenever he thought about his rival. He would never admit it out loud but he had a crush on his best friend. He could never tell Raihan, he didn’t want to risk ruining their friendship. Plus, there’s no way his rival could ever feel the same way. Before long he was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. 

The new gym leader stood at his doorway and grinned, “Hey champ! How’s it going?”

Leon got up from his bed and greeted his rival with a high five, “Dude, I’m so tired. Being the champion is hard work! I’m lucky I can get away for even two days this time.”

Raihan smirked, “Heh, I get it. They’re working me and my pokemon to the bone back home. Being a gym leader is no joke. Plus, I gotta train hard if I ever wanna beat you!” - Raihan gestured to the new dragon-gym leader uniform - “Check it out, I’m all official and everything now!”

Leon grinned, “Yeah, congrats again by the way! Can’t think of a better trainer to put a challenger up against right before they get to me!”

“Just you wait, with this new training the gym’s puttin’ me through you won’t be the champ for long!”, Raihan sneered. 

“Wanna bet?”

“You’re on!”

The two raced outside to Leon’s front yard eager to see who would emerge the victor. 

Thirty minutes later, a defeated Raihan trudged upstairs behind the champion. The loser of the match plopped himself down at his rival’s desk and whined, “Man, I almost had you that time!”

Leon laid back onto his bed, arms spread out, basking in the feeling of victory. He chuckled, “Better luck next time, Rai!”

Raihan, still in a sour mood, looked to his bookshelf. “Hey what’s with all the books? Like you even read any of these?”

Leon glanced over, “Yeah, most of those were gifted to me by sponsors. They just send’em to my house and mom puts them on the bookshelf.”

Raihan picked up one of the books and read the cover, “ ‘The Official Pokemon Handbook, Your complete guide to catching all 150 Pokemon?’, ‘Pokemon A History?’ What is this crap?”

Leon jumped up, “Hey! Be careful with that! That first one’s a valuable collecter’s item from the Kanto region!”

Raihan looked up at the other’s sudden outburst, “Ha, nerd.”

Leon flushed a bit and looked away.

Raihan turned back to the bookshelf and was reaching for a book on dragon-type pokemon when something caught his eye. Tucked in the very back of the shelf was a thin magazine with worn edges. Curious he moved some other books aside to get a better view. As soon as he saw the cover he knew exactly what that magazine was. Leon was hiding a dirty magazine in his bookshelf! 

_Sheesh, what an amateur. He’s probably got another one under his bed too. Those are the obvious hiding spots, dude! Raihan thought to himself._

Leon, becoming suspicious of how quiet his rival was, looked over just in time to see him take the magazine off the shelf. The champion quickly jumped off his bed trying to take it back. Raihan, held the other off, chuckling as he waved the magazine just out of Leon’s reach. Leon was getting more and more flustered after each failed attempt to retrieve it.

“Rai! Come on, give it back!”, he cried.

Raihan chuckled, “No way! This is just too good! Oh man, you’re lucky your mom didn’t find this! You suck at hiding things, Lee!”

Suddenly a small picture slipped out from between the pages. Leon watched in horror as it fluttered to the floor, landing between the two of them. When Raihan looked down he was suddenly staring at a picture of himself. 

He recognized this photo, it’s one of his selfies he had uploaded to his page. He had just got done with a workout and thought he looked pretty hot. After he posted it his fans went nuts cause it was the first shirtless picture he uploaded. 

_Why did Leon have a copy of it in…? Oh…_

At that moment Raihan’s brain had short-circuited. He looked to his best friend and rival, speechless. Leon’s face was flushed a deep red as he looked anywhere but at him. Time had stopped for them, the two frozen in place, neither one able to comprehend what just happened. 

Leon, having never been more embarrassed in his life, recovered first. He pulled the lip of his champion cap down to obscure Raihan’s view of his face.

Then with a shaky voice, so quiet Raihan barely caught it, “Y-You should go.” 

Raihan having never heard his best friend sound that way, just nodded. He turned around and walked out of the champion’s bedroom, seemingly on autopilot, not knowing what to say.

_No, no this is crazy. Does that mean he likes me!? I mean after I kissed him at my party he didn’t react or anything. I just figured he wasn’t interested in me that way? But if he has a picture of me in something like **that**. I mean that’s gotta mean something, right? Aw man, I can’t leave now! ___

____

__

Still, in a state of shock, he made it halfway down the stairs before he turned around and bolted back towards the room. 

Leon, having turned away from the doorway, started at the sound of his rival’s approach. The other was approaching with such speed Leon braced himself for the impact. He shut his eyes, adjusted his stance, and waited for his rival’s fist to make contact with his face. He knew that he deserved this, the other must be disgusted by him. 

Leon winced as, as he felt something touch his lips? It was moist and slightly rough, it was almost as if, as if…

Leon’s eyes shot open, Raihan was kissing him!

Absolutely stunned, Leon didn’t even have time to properly respond to the kiss before the other pulled away. At some point, Raihan had placed this hands on his shoulders. The grasp was so tight he could feel the other’s hands shaking. He was staring at his face searching for any sign of upset.

Leon looked into his rival’s eyes and was trying to remember what words were. 

_He, He just kissed me!? My first kiss… H-He’s not mad at me?_

Raihan, becoming impatient with the lack of response, broke the silence, “So uh, does this mean what I think it means?”

Leon continued to stare at Raihan, cheeks flushed and bit confused by what he was asking.

Raihan swallowed down the lump in his throat and whispered, “Do you like me?”

Leon still trying to process this turn of events, nodded and found his voice,” Y-Yes.”

Raihan beamed, a big toothy-smile, “This is great! I-I can’t believe it! I’ve liked you all this time and I never thought-” 

Leon, having gained some confidence with the confession, silenced his rival with his lips. Their second, first kiss (Leon would always count it as their first), was perfect. Raihan had slightly tilted his head one way, while Leon had tilted the other to find the best angle. Their kiss was soft and gentle. Both learning how to move their lips, when to breathe, and relishing in the indescribable feeling of it. 

All too soon, they heard a door open downstairs signaling the return of Leon’s family. The two reluctantly broke apart. Raihan gently held Leon’s face in his hands as they panted slightly. Sheepish smiles and flushed cheeks adorned their faces. His mother called up from the base of the steps and asked if Raihan was staying for dinner.

Leon looked into his eyes, “So do you want to stay for dinner?”

“Of course. I need to have dinner with your family for the first time as your boyfriend after all.”

Leon beamed as he grabbed Raihan’s hand and started towards the door, “Let’s go then. I have a feeling they’re gonna love you.”

Later that evening, with his belly and heart full, Leon sat on the couch with his new boyfriend. The two cuddled close, the other occupants of the house upstairs getting ready for bed. 

“You know it’s getting late. I really should get going,” Raihan whispered into his rival, best friend, boyfriend’s ear. 

Leon pouted, “Do you have to? Why don’t I just ask my mom if you can sleepover and you can-” Raihan silenced his boyfriend with a kiss.

“Come on, Lee. Your mom’s not stupid. You really think she’d let her son’s new boyfriend spend the night?” 

“I don’t see why not? You are my best friend after all.”

He lightly nibbled on Leon’s earlobe.

 _“Ahh-”_ -Leon moved a hand to his mouth to muffle the sound- “Um yeah, ok yeah. You’re probably right.”

Raihan smirked and leaned in close again, “Before I go though I think you should know that wasn’t our first kiss earlier.”

“W-What? What do you mean when did we-”

A sudden stream of memories came flooding into Leon’s mind. He was back at the party and Raihan was saying something..

_“You know there was something I was really hoping to get for my birthday this year.”_

__

__

_“Huh, wh-what is it?”_

_“Well, it’s kinda something only you can give me.”_

_“Oh ok, I’ll get it for you! What is it?”_

_“Face me and close your eyes.”_

_“Ok.”_

_Leon could remember the sensation of Raihan’s lips on his._

_It had lasted mere seconds._

Leon came back to reality with a very concerned boyfriend looking at him.

“Rai! I was drunk! Someone spiked the punch! Why did you think I was on the floor!?”

Raihan, upon hearing this new information was shocked, “You were drunk!? What the hell!? I thought you were just a klutz and tripped! Jeez, Lee, I’m sorry! I woulda never done that if I knew you were drunk, honest! I mean that makes a lot more sense as to why nothing changed after the party.”

Leon couldn’t help but sigh, “So you kissed me. I was too drunk to remember it and you were just like, ‘Oh well? Guess he doesn’t like me?’!? 

Raihan simply nodded.

“Ugh, you could have just told me, Rai!”

“What was I supposed ta say!? ‘Oh, hey Lee. By the way, even though you totally didn’t react when I kissed you, I like you!? You’ve been my best friend since we were little kids. You’re all I ever think about, hell I might even be in lo-’ ” Raihan shut his mouth before he went too far, his face beet red. 

Leon’s eyes grew wide, “Um, what was that?”

Raihan shook his head, “Nothin’, you’re not getting any more confessions outta me today!” He gave Leon a quick goodnight kiss and made a beeline for the front door.

Leon had a fond smile on his face as he watched the door close behind his rival, best friend, boyfriend. He grabbed his phone and typed out a quick message.

Raihan was leaning against his boyfriend’s front door when his phone vibrated. 

_Leon: Goodnight Rai. I love you too_

Raihan’s knees gave out from under him and his body slid down the door frame. 

His rival was going to be the death of him.


End file.
